Newt’s last post is about the releases of Odeluxe, but I want to make a note about the music. It appears upon first early listens, that there’s various changes to a lot of the songs… which could just be a trick of remastering, or real additions, I’m not sure yet. For instance the vocals on “Hotwax” appear to be have another vocal, and I think there may be a more prominent keyboard line on “Novacane,” and that a few songs have slightly longer/different endings. Little stuff like that. Some close comparisons to the original version and the Deluxe version are necessary, and I definitely will try to do that. But help is needed, there’s a thread over on Stewoo.net about some of the differences, but if anyone notices anything on the Deluxe version that sounds funny/new/differently-mixed, feel free to post here in the comments, on Stewoo, or email almostaghost@gmail.com so we can start figuring out all exactly what Beck did to his masterpiece. :)

Also apparently Spin Magazine has a short sentence in it saying that Beck and Nigel Godrich are back working on the next album… dunno if that’s just a rumor or not, but there it is. Good news, that.

UPDATE:
List Of Things (this may take me awhile to do, but I’ll keep it here for now.)

1. Devils Haircut – I noticed no difference between Odelay and Odeluxe.
2. Hotwax – Deluxe version has what sounds like an extra vocal track during the verses.
3. Lord Only Knows – I think the versions are exactly the same, if anything there might be some remastering making some things (bass, percussion) a little clearer.
4. The New Pollution - identical. (tho a commenter below noted the intros sounding different, I don’t hear anything. can anyone get more specific?)

i just went to a couple stores and can confirm that there is no deluxe edition of odelay in stores in canada. at least, not today.

at hmv i was able to find out that there are some supposedly coming in next tuesday feb. 5 (this is kind of up in the air, though – hmv’s release dates are often iffy with this kind of thing). however, at a price of $40, and keeping that delay in mind, it seems like these are probably just american copies that are being imported. that means most stores won’t get them, and most that do will only have a few copies.

so fuck you, canada!

UPDATE: thanks to magnolia, who points out in the comments that umusic.ca, universal’s canadian site, lists a feb. 5 release date for odelay deluxe. so i guess it’s not an import, it’s just coming out a week later here.

Or you can try to enjoy the liner notes by Thurston Moore, or the fact that Dave Eggers uses the booklet to interview a bunch of teenagers about whether they know who Beck is (Hey! Guess what! Not really!)

UPDATE 2: noknowncure has pointed out in the comments below that 1) there is a UK release, and 2) play.com (a UK site) lists an unnamed bonus track. This could very well mean that the UK version will have Diskobox on it.

On January 29th, Beck will release a double-disc deluxe version of his 1996 album Odelay that includes sixteen B-sides and compilation tracks that haven’t seen U.S. release before, as well as two never-before-released songs from the album’s original sessions produced by the Dust Brothers: “Inferno” and “Gold Chains.” The second disc also includes remixes by Aphex Twin, Mario Caldato Jr. and U.N.K.L.E., plus “Burro,” a Spanish-language rendition of “Jackass” recorded with a mariachi band.

Woo! Inferno! Yes! Gold Chains? Ok, cool!

I’m hoping there’s more new stuff than that (original Debra?), but I’m happy enough that we finally get Inferno.

Disc One of “Odelay – Deluxe Edition” adds to that original album two never before heard Dust Brothers-produced tracks from the “Odelay” sessions, “Inferno” and “Gold Chains,” and “Deadweight” from the film “A Life Less Ordinary.” Disc Two’s 16 selections include “Thunder Peel,” co-produced by Mario Caldato Jr.; the U.N.K.L.E. (featuring James Lavelle) remix of “Where It’s At,” and Aphex Twin and Mickey P. remixes of “Devil’s Haircut” (titled “Richard’s Hairpiece” and “American Wasteland,” respectively). Also heard are the once international-only b-sides “Clock,” “Electric Music and The Summer People,” “Lemonade,” “SA-5,” “Feather In Your Cap,” “Erase The Sun,” “000.000,” “Brother,” “Trouble All My Days,” “Strange Invitation,” “Devil Got My Woman,” (a cover of the Skip James classic recorded at the original Sun Studios in Memphis before they closed their doors) and “Burro” — a Spanish language version of “Jackass” recorded with a mariachi band.

That pretty much covers the whole tracklist, so it looks like the only new material is Inferno and Gold Chains. I guess we’ll have to keep waiting on that original Debra track.

Hello, sorry for the lack of updates, but Beck’s been quiet. But there’s a few new things to note here.

1. “Timebomb”–a song Beck has played live a few times–will be a digital single soon, according to the .com. No word on when exactly, or where (probably iTunes, as Beck’s album covers are all over iPod commercials). Hopefully there will be b-sides! “Timebomb” is a fun song. There will also apparently be a 12″ vinyl version too.

2. So for a while we’ve heard about the Deluxe 10th Anniversary version of Odelay. It has not happened, and it has been 11 years since Odelay was released. But I’m told that Odeluxe is still being worked on, and a release is still planned. Stay optimistic! (There’s also plans for another deluxe version of an older album, but I can’t tell you which one quite yet!)

3. Beck recently put up a nice tribute to Jeremy Blake on .com, and promises a tribute to Ingmar Bergman soon. I guess there is a reason to go to beck.com now! Keep using the site for things, Beck.

4. Beck’s been in and out of the studio for the last few months, doing different things. I posted about some of them before on here. It is still, as usual, up in the air what will come out and when.

5. Also Beck’s band has released an album (Beck’s not on it). They’re called Wounded Cougar, and you need the record. Even if you are not interested in hard rockin’ facemeltin’ heavy metal, you probably do want to support a bunch of amazing musicians putting out their own records completely independently. Go to their myspace for info on how to get the record.

This isn’t so much an update on their status as it is an update on my knowledge of their status. Earlier, we told you that both these items were supposed to come out tomorrow, April 4th. It seems like that may no longer be the case.

The release date for the singles boxset, according to HMV Japan, has been changed to May 23rd. I have no idea if this is accurate, but I hope it comes out eventually since HMV has my money.

Odelay Deluxe is an even bigger mystery. We still haven’t heard a tracklist for it, and the HMV Japan page for it has changed it’s info from a 2-disc to a 1-disc release. Instead of listing a release date it simply says “Unreleased Items”. It’s not even turning up in searches over there anymore.

So, the update in a nutshell: I have no idea what’s going on with these or when they’re coming out.